There has been a lot of
discussion over the last decade regarding the "Hidden Job Market."
Does it exist? And if so, where is it and how can you get a
piece of the action?

The truth is, the "Hidden
Job Market" isn't really hidden, and
tapping into it simply requires a bit of outside-the-box thinking.

It doesn't mean you
can forgo
the routine procedures and protocols of an ordinary job search.

It does mean
throwing your net as far and wide as you're willing, in order to gain the
largest amount of exposure and opportunities possible.

Tapping into the "hidden job
market" requires real effort and legwork on the part of the job candidate. Too many job seekers today
simply post their resumes online in
volume, hoping that the percentages, alone, will work in
their
favor ("If I post it in 50 places I should hear back from at least one").

But this passive type of
job hunting, posting a resume and then inactively waiting for someone else to take action,
has limited results. It would be very rare for a potential employer or competitive position
to seek you
out. In 2005, it is a buyer's market, and the extra effort has to come from
the job hunter.

The first thing a job candidate
needs to do is make certain he or she has all the job search tools
necessary for a productive job search campaign (see "The
Eight Worst Mistakes Job Hunters Make."). If your resume is not up-to-date, and
you don't have it prepared in all the file formats necessary for a
productive job search campaign,
including: ASCII, HTML,
word processed, and PDF, you're already ten steps behind the
competition (see resume file formats
explained).

Be ready and prepared
for when opportunities present, including having your references, interview
attire (more than one, pressed and ready), e-mail address (other than the
one provided to you by your current employer), and comfortable but productive interview strategies
in place.

Avenues that you should already
be utilizing on a daily basis include: reading the classified ads in
your local and area newspapers - every day - submitting your resume
to every position and company that can utilize your skills and services
(regardless of whether there's a known position opening, or not);
posting your resume to selected sites on the Net
(see Career Resources,
Job Sites
By Industry and Job Sites By State to get you started), and posting your resume with a
qualified recruiter or headhunter (a recruiter should
never charge you a fee, they make their money working for the companies and
corporations who hire them); and/or a utilizing a temporary agency.

Outside the box thinking
includes networking in a big way. Networking means actively searching out
opportunities and making as many people aware of you, your unique skills and
abilities, and your interest in securing a new job, as possible. Every
friend and family member should be aware of your pursuit. Every acquaintance,
too. But keep in mind that networking is never a one-way proposition. You
need to be ready to contribute something, as well, whether that be your
time, expertise or influence. See
Job Hunting for the Holidays.

In addition to making
the world aware of you and your objectives, you need to be able to clearly
express these objectives to anyone who asks. You should be able to say, in a
clear and concise manner, exactly what it is you can do (your area of
expertise), what it is you are looking for (the type of position and/or
company that would present the best fit), what it is you want, and the real
and potential benefits of hiring you.

The more clearly you are able to
define your job search, the more effectively your network will be able to
help you.

Outside of the box activities
include:

Broadcast Cover Letters

In addition to the typical
cover letter (that addresses a known position opening), creating a
"broadcast" cover letter can be an effective job search tool. A broadcast
cover letter is used to contact companies of interest, but where no known
position opening exists.

Why would you want to submit
a cover letter and resume to a company who is not hiring? Because:

Job
openings become available and filled every day without
the public's knowledge.

A
company may be considering a position opening in the
near future for which you're truly qualified.

A hiring
manager who does not have a job opening available but
knows of another company or hiring manager looking to
hire a candidate with your skills and qualifications.

A resume
from a qualified individual can sometimes push a hiring
manager to make a tough decision to fire a poor
performing employee.

A resume
from a qualified individual can sometimes push a hiring
manager or company owner to develop a much needed niche
in their company.

The broadcast cover letter
is the same as a cover letter targeting a known position, in that: 1) you
need to understand the company you're targeting: who they
are, what they do, what they are proud of, what they look for in potential
employees, who or what comprises their customer market, what sets them apart from
their competition, who their competition is, and more... 2) identifies how
you fit in to this organization (to their benefit), and 3) the benefits of
hiring you over another qualified candidate.

A broadcast cover letter is different from a
typical cover
letter in that it's solely the job of the candidate to
identify where his or her skills may be best placed in the company. Don't expect
your reader to figure out where they can fit you in, or where your skills
will benefit.

While a routine cover letter
might begin: "The position you have posted for _________________ appears to be an ideal fit...," a
broadcast cover letter might begin: "In the course of attempting to
revitalize and strengthen your company's ____________... you may have the
need for a qualified ______________... who is able to..."

In order to create a
truly effective broadcast cover letter, you need to do your homework, first.
This means researching the companies you target and becoming very familiar
with their markets, environments, goals, and objectives. See more about
Broadcast Cover Letters.

Company Web site searches

The vast majority of
companies today, whether big or small, have a company Web site. Within
these Web sites is a wealth of information: from key personnel, to the
services or products they offer, to how well they're doing.

Often, companies will
post job openings on their corporate Web sites that aren't posted anywhere
else on the Net.

By doing a simple search
of the Internet, you may locate companies you didn't even know existed, up
and comers, mergers, new businesses,
which are (or will be) a perfect fit for what you have to offer.

Locating a job opening with
one company means it's worth take a look at their competition, and understanding that competing
companies may have similar needs.

Telephone Book

An often overlooked tool is
the telephone book. And you don't need to limit yourself to your current
city (although it's a great place to start). You can access telephone books
(with full ads and loads of information) for any city of interest.

As you begin looking through
the Yellow Pages, start with the section you think will offer the
most logical opportunities, but don't stop there. In fact, start with the
first business page of the telephone book and keep going. You may find companies and
industries that can use your particular skills that you hadn't before considered.

A recent client
used the telephone book to become familiar with the companies and industries
in her new town. She submitted broadcast cover letters and resumes to all
the companies that were similar to the companies she had worked for in the
past. She also submitted broadcast cover letters and resumes to
companies in different industries - those she believed could benefit from
her unique skills and background. She is now working in an entirely
different industry and has never been happier. In fact, the subtle change in
career direction has allowed her to break through the income ceiling of her
previous industry, and has opened a wide array of potential new directions
for her future.

Business Cards

Just as you need to be able
to verbally indicate what types of positions you're hoping to secure, as
well as the
type of skills you have to offer,
a job hunting business card can be a great marketing
tool to keep your goals and objectives in the minds of those with whom you
network.

A business card can
concisely display your area of expertise, such as
"John Doe, Marketing Director," and the ways and means by which to contact
you, including the URL to your resume Web page (a very recipient-friendly
way of delivering your resume).

Not only should you hand
out your job hunting business cards freely to everyone in your network, but each person in your
network should also be given several that he or she may pass along, as well.

A job hunting business card is less
intrusive than providing a full resume document or even requesting an
impromptu interview. With that understanding, it's easy to recognize the
endless number of
situations where a job hunting business card can come into play.

And people like receiving business cards. I don't know why, I
just know that it's true.

Door-to-door, proactive job
searching

With the ease of mailing
resumes and searching for jobs on the Net, job candidates have become rather
passive in their job search techniques. Most often the first face-to-face
encounter is at the scheduled interview, after the resume has been
submitted, read, and the candidate notified by phone or e-mail.

It's much more difficult to
offer a "No, thanks," and it makes a much more impressive first impression, to have a
potential candidate present their resume in person
(whether there's a job opening, or not). Of course, the savvy job candidate
knows that this encounter may result in an impromptu interview, and are
dressed and prepared for such an event.

Why do so few job candidates
go door-to-door? Because the opportunity for repeated rejection is higher,
and being rejected can dampen any job candidate's motivation.
The flip side to this rejection, of course, is that a
proactive job hunter is more often admired by the people who hire them.

Professional Associations

Joining a professional
association related to your area of expertise or industry not only looks
great on your resume, but it can be one of the best places to network. Join,
become active, and pass out your business card. Just keep in mind that
networking, whether in your community, neighborhood or professional
association, is a give and take situation. If you're not willing to
contribute something, don't expect great results in return.

Weddles Association List:A well organized and easy-to-use list of
several thousand associations from around the world organized by their primary
professional/occupational focus and/or industry of interest. Provides individual
links to the professional association Web sites. Joining professional
associations in your industry, and actively networking within them, is a very
important aspect of a successful and productive career life.

Which brings me to another
issue in networking and using "out of the box" job search techniques:
be
willing to be a mentor or be a network partner for someone else. Good
networking is never intended to be a one-way street or activity.

Good luck in your job search!
Sue Campbell,
1st-Writer.com - over 18 years
experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals. Feel free to
e-mail me with any questions you may have. I'll be glad to help!